Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 888,414. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. v H. H. AKBRS.

MAIL BAG GATCHBR AND DELIVERER. A

APPLIoATIoN FILED s311128, 1907.

E l l l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. AKERS, CF CHERRYVALE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO H. H. AKERSMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHERRYVALE, KANSAS.

MAIL-BAG- CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application led September 28, 1907. Serial No. 395,006.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. Aimns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cherryvale, in the county of Montgomery and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Catcher and Deliverer, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag catchers and has for its object toprovide a comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this characterespecially designed for attachment to a rail-road car and by means ofwhich mail bags or sacks may be delivered to and discharged from the carwhile the latter is in motion.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fork having a pivotedcatch associated therewith and adapted to engage and retain the mailsacks in positionv on the fork.

A further object is to provide means for limiting the pivotal movementof the catch, and means for suspending a mail bag from the closed end ofthe fork and in position to be delivered at any particular station alongthe route.

A further object is to provide the actuating spring with a sectionalcasing which assists 1n limiting the pivotal movement of the catch andalso serves to receive the impact of the mail bag and thus preventinjury to said spring.

A further object is to increase the length of the fork carrying arm orflange so that the mail cranes may be set back from the track and thuspermit the engineer or fireman to make the usual observation withoutdanger of striking said cranes.

A still further object of the invention is to generally im rove thisclass of devices so as to increase t eir utility, durability andetliciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description7it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:Figure 1 is a top plan View partly in section of a mail bag catcher ancdelivery device constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 isan end elevation partly in section of the same. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the fork. Fig. 4

is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 ol Fig. l.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of theiigures of the drawings.

The improved device forming the subject matter of the present inventionis rincipally designed for attachment to mail) cars and similar vehiclesand by way of illustration is shown in position on a mail car of theordinary -construction in which 5 designates one side of the car and 6the door opening.

Secured to the door casing 6 in any suitable manner, as by bolts orsimilar fastenin0r devices 7, are brackets 8 in which is journal-led atransverse shaft 9, said brackets being pro.- vided with segmentalbearing surfaces 10 which engage the corres ondingly curved edges of theframe of the oor opening.

Secured to and mounted for rotation with the shaft 9 is a relativelylong arm 11 having its upper face provided with a flat bearing surface12 and its terminal portion cut away to form oppositely disposed stopshoulders 13 and 14.

Secured to the free end of the arm 11 is a fork 15 the free end of whichis inclined laterally so as to guide the mail bag to a recess 0r pocketformed by the closed end of said fork, as shown.

Pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the arm 11, at the cut awayportion 16, is a spring actuated catch having angularly disposed arms 16and 17, there being a relatively short arm or extension 18 formed at thejuncture of the arms 16 and 17 for pivotal connection with the arm 12,as indicated at 19.

Fastened in an eye 20 on the free end of the arm 16 is one end of acoiled spring 21 the o posite end of which is secured in any suitab emanner to the arm 12. It will thus be seen that when a lateral pressureis exerted on the arm 16 of the catch the tension of the spring 21 willforce the arm 17 transversely across the closed end of the hook and thussecurely lock the mail bag in position on the fork.

Surrounding the spring 21 is a metal casing or housing 23 preferablyformed in three sections which7 when the s ring is expanded areseparated but are force( in contact with each other when the spring iscontracted thereby to assist in limiting the pivotal movement of thecatch.

Attention is here called to the fact that the sectional casing 23 notonly serves to assist in limiting the pivotal movement of the catch butlalso serves to house the spring and receive the impact of the mail bagwhen the latter is delivered to the fork. It will also be observed thatthe pivotal movement of the catch in one direction is limited by theshoul. der 14 while the pivotal movement of the catch in theV oppositedirection is limited by the shoulder 13. v

By making the fork supporting arm 11 relatively long the mail cranesalong the route may be set back from the track so as to permit theengineer or fireman to make the usual observations without danger ofstriking said cranes.

A rubber or other yieldable section 7 is preferably interposed betweenthe base of the arm 11 and the adjacent bracket 8 to form a bumper andthus receive and absorb the imact of said arm when a mail bag is beingde- `vered to the car.

When the catch is in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings thespring is disposed to-one side of the pivot point 19 so as to normallyand yieldably force the arm 17 of the catch in engagement with theadjacent stop shoulder 14. With the parts in this position and a traintraveling in the direction of the large arrow, indicated in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, the mail bag will be forced contact with the free end ofthe arm 16 thus partially tilting said arm and causing the spring 21 tomove the relatively long arm 17 to a position transversely across theclosed end of the forkl and thus lock the bag on the fork so that thesame may be conveniently removed by the operator.

A hook 24 is preferably secured to the lower face of the fork 15 at theclosed end thereof for suspending a mail bag or sack in position to bedelivered at any particular station along the route.- A handle 25 isalso preferably formed on the arm 11 so that the fork and its associatedparts may be swung downwardly in contact with the side of the car. whenthe device is not in use.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction andoperation ofthe device will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, of afork extending transversely across the opening, a catch coacting withthe closed end of the fork, a spring connecting with the catch and fork,respectively, and a sectional casing surrounding the spring and servingto house the latter.

2. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, of ashaft journaled on the car and extended transversely across the opening,an arm secured to and movable with the shaft, a fork carried by thefreeend of the arm, a spring actuated catch pivotally mounted on the arm andmovable to operative position at the closedend of the fork, a springconnecting the catch and arm, respectively, and a sectional casingsurrounding the spring and forming a housing for the latter. t

8. The combination witha car having an opening formed therein, of a forkextending transversely across the opening, a pivoted ment of the catch,a spring connecting the fork and catch, respectively, and a sectionalcasing surrounding the spring, said casing serving to house the springand assist in limiting the pivotal movement of the catch in onedirection.

4. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, bracketssecured to the side of the car, a shaft journaled in said brackets andprovided with a laterally extending arm the free end of which is reducedto form oppositely disposed stop shoulders, a fork carried by the arm, aspring actuating catch pivotallyfmounted on the reduced end of the armand movable to operative position across the closed end of the fork, anda spring connecting the catch and arm, respectively, the pivotalmovement of the catch being limited by engagement with the adjacent stopshoulders.

5. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, bracketssecured to the side of the car at said opening, a shaft journaled in thebrackets and provided with a laterally extending arm the free end ofwhich is reduced to form oppositely disposed stop shoulders, a forksecured to the arm, a catch pivotally mounted on the reduced end of thearm and co-acting with the closed end of the fork, a spring having oneend thereof secured to the catch and its opposite end fastened to thearm, and a sectional casing surrounding the spring and forming a housingfor the same.

6. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, bracketssecured to the side of the car, a transverse shaft journaled in saidbrackets, an arm extending laterally from the shaft and having its freeend reduced to form oppositely disposed shoulders, a fork extendinglaterally from the arm, a catch co-acting with the fork and providedwith angularly disposed arms one of which is movable to operativeposition at the closed end of the fork, an extension formed at thejuncture of said arm and having a pivotal connection with the reducedend of the laterally extending arm, and a spring forming a yieldableconnection between the laterally extending arm and catch.

7. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, bracketssecured to catch co-acting with the closed end of the fork, means forlimiting the pivotal movethe side of the car at said opening, a shaftjournaled in said brackets, an arm extending laterally from the shaftand having its free end reduced to form oppositely disposed stopshoulders, a fork carried by the arm, a spring actuating catch pivotallymounted on the reduced end of the arm and co-acting with the closed endof the fork, a spring connecting the arm and catch, respectively, asectional casing surrounding the spring and forming a housing for thelatter, and a bag engaging hook depending from the closed end of thefork.

8. The combination with a car having an opening formed therein, bracketssecured to the side of the car at said opening, a shaft journaled insaid brackets, a relatively long arm extending laterally from the shaftand having its free end reduced to form oppositely disposed stopshoulders, a fork carried by the arm, a spring actuated catch pivotallymounted on the reduced end of the arm and co-acting with the closed endof the fork, a spring forming a yieldable connection between the catchand arm, respectively, and a yieldable packing interposed between thearm and the adjacent bracket, the pivotal movement of the catch beinglimited by engagement with the adjacent shoulders on said arm.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereuntoaflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. AKERS.

Witnesses:

A. D. IAIILEMAN, W. E. H. ANDERSON.

